[Column] Changes in Christmas songs: 1950s to 2020s

Column en Disco History JPop Pop Soul

16 Nov 2025

[Column] Changes in Christmas songs: 1950s to 2020s

Prologue The global appeal of Christmas songs

Text: mmr｜Theme: About Christmas songs, which are not just seasonal music, but cultural phenomena that reflect changes in the technology, social background, and music industry of the times.

Christmas songs have a special existence, warming the heart in the cold winter and telling stories of love, family, and friendship in melodies. It has been loved by generations, and its expression and distribution format have changed over time. If we follow the changes from the 1950s to the 2020s, we can see how music technology, social environment, and media strategy have influenced it.

Prototype of Christmas songs from 1950s to 1970s

1950s pop songs depicting families and winter scenes

In post-World War II America, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” (released in 1942) was iconic. It depicts an ideal Christmas at home and was widely disseminated on radio and single records.

Lyrics and Theme Analysis

“I”m dreaming of a white Christmas”: A depiction of snowy scenery and nostalgia
Universal themes that remind you of family and hometown
Warmth and glamor with big band style arrangement

Nat King Cole”s ““The Christmas Song” (1950) incorporates jazz elements and depicts a gathering by the fireplace and a winter scene. The Harry Simone Choir”s ““Little Drummer Boy” (1963) transformed elements of church music into pop music.

Representative songs/albums

Year	Song title/album	Artist	Features
1942	White Christmas	Bing Crosby	Global hit, Academy Award winner
1950	The Christmas Song	Nat King Cole	Jazz Standard, Domestic Scene
1963	Little Drummer Boy	The Harry Simeone Chorale	Making church music pop

1970s Soul and Disco Christmas

Vincent Montana Jr.’s 1976 Christmas Jollies is a groundbreaking album that incorporates disco soul.

Features

gorgeous strings and horns
Classic song cover + original
Arrangements for dance parties
A bridge to later synth pop/R&B Christmas songs

Chronology/Illustrations (1950s-1970s)

timeline title 1950-1970年代クリスマスソング年表 1942 : ビング・クロスビー「ホワイトクリスマス」 1950 : ナット・キング・コール「The Christmas Song」 1963 : ハリー・サイモーン合唱団「Little Drummer Boy」 1976 : ヴィンセント・モンタナ・ジュニア「Christmas Jollies」

graph TD A[1950s ポップス・ジャズ] --> B[家族・冬景色テーマ] B --> C[1970s ソウル・ディスコ融合] C --> D[世界的定番曲への橋渡し]

1980s pop heyday and standardization

Wham! “Last Christmas”

Released in 1984, “Last Christmas” combines synth pop and heartbreaking romance. A long-term hit with many covers and remixes.

Tatsuro Yamashita “Christmas Eve”

Released in 1983. AOR/city pop depicting urban winter scenery and love. It is regularly played on radio and commercials, and has become a standard winter song in Japan.

Representative song

Year	Song title	Artist	Features
1980	Happy Xmas (War Is Over)	John Lennon & Yoko Ono	Social Message
1983	Christmas Eve	Tatsuro Yamashita	Urban winter scenery/love theme
1984	Last Christmas	Wham!	World classic, many covers

timeline title 1980年代クリスマスソング年表 1980 : ジョン・レノン「Happy Xmas (War Is Over)」 1983 : 山下達郎「クリスマス・イブ」 1984 : ワム！「Last Christmas」

graph TD A[1970s ソウル・ディスコ] --> B[1980s シンセポップ] B --> C[恋愛・都会的冬景色テーマ] C --> D[世界的定番曲確立]

Modern Christmas in the 1990s Mariah Carey era

In 1994, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” became a worldwide hit.

Love-centered lyrics
R&B and pop fusion
Vocal overdubbing harmony
In Japan, Yumi Matsutoya’s ““Lover is Santa Claus’’ re-evaluation

2000s genre diversification and remake culture

Increase in R&B, acoustic, and club arrangements
Many covers and remakes of standard songs
The boundaries between old and new songs are becoming blurred due to the spread of distribution services.
In Japan, city pop and winter song covers are increasing.

2010s-2020s SNS/streaming era

Mainstream playback on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube
Old song cover goes viral on TikTok
Increase in online live and virtual events due to the coronavirus pandemic
Commercial strategy focuses on distribution and SNS, accelerating re-evaluation of old songs

Chronology/Illustrations (1990s-2020s)

timeline title 1990-2020年代クリスマスソング年表 1994 : マライア・キャリー「All I Want For Christmas Is You」 2000 : 日本で「恋人がサンタクロース」再評価 2004 : 世界で「Last Christmas」リメイク多数 2010 : SNSで旧曲カバーがバイラル化 2020 : ストリーミング世代のヒット、オンラインイベント増加

graph TD A[1990s] --> B[マライア・キャリー時代] B --> C[2000s ジャンル多様化・リメイク増加] C --> D[2010s SNS・配信時代] D --> E[2020s オンライン・ストリーミング定番化]

General considerations

Era	Characteristics
1950s-70s	Jazz, pops, soul/family, religion, winter scenery
Mid-1970s	Disco-soul fusion in “Christmas Jollies”
1980s	Synth pop/urban romance/establishment of standard songs
1990s	Mariah Carey establishes love-centered modern pop music
2000s	Genre diversification and remake culture
2010s to 2020s	Re-evaluation of old songs and spread of new songs in the SNS/streaming era

Christmas songs are not just seasonal music; they are a cultural phenomenon that reflects the changes in technology, social background, and music industry of the times. The coexistence of old and new songs, the distinctive expressions of each country, and the evolution of commercial strategies will continue to drive music culture.